jenkins



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1. D. JENKINS.

WOOD BENDING PRESS. I No. 437,904. Patented Oct. 7, 1890.

H mmr JUJ I A fiamz (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2. D. JENKINS.

WOOD BENDING PRESS. No. 437,904. Patented 001;. 7, 1890.

WWW/2006M v'vv ewig/ V UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE;

DAVID JENKINS, OF SIIEBOYGAN, \VISCONSIN, ASSIGNOR TO THE JENKINSMACHINE COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

WYOOD-BENDING PRESS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 437,904, dated October7, 1890.

Application filed February 7, 1890. Serial No. 339,572. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, DAVID J ENKIXS, of Sheboygan, in the county ofSheboygan, and in the State of Wisconsin, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Mood-Bending Presses; and I do hereby declarethat the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof.

My invention relates to wood bending IO presses; and it consists incertain peculiar-i ties of construction and combination of parts, to behereinafter described with reference totheaccompanyingdrawings,andsubsequently claimed.

In the drawings, Figure 1 represents a side elevation of a bending-pressconstructed according to my invention; Fig. 2, a front elevation of thesame with parts broken away; Fig. 3, a vertical longitudinal section ofthe press; and Fig. l, a horizontal section illustrating the valve-gearof a steam-cylinder that forms part of said press.

Referring by letter to the drawings,A represents standards for thesupport of a shell B, that forms the bed of the press and is concaveupon its upper face. At its front end the shell B is provided with earsI), having vertical slots 0, and a rod 0 is passed through these slots,and similar ones d in ears 6, be-

longing to another hollow shell D, that forms the platen of the press,the latter shell being convex upon its under face. Both of the shells BD are cennected by pipes E with a source of steam-supply, (not shown,)and thus said shells are made hot, in order to dry up the moisture inthe wood subjected to the action of the press, the fibers in said woodbeing fixed by combined heat and pressure, as is usual in the art towhich my invention relates.

At about midway of its length the sides of the shell B are provided withlugs F, having vertical screw-threaded openings for engagement with thescrew-threaded ends f of arms 4 5 G, that are coupled to a transverserod H, and by means of nuts g on said arms above and below the lugs therod may be raised and lowered, for the purpose to be hereinafterdescribed.

Loose on the rod I-I, between rigid collars h, is a sleeve 1, providedwith arms J, that connect at their lower ends with links J, that are inturn connected to a cross head K on the rod L of a piston M, the latterbeing an ranged in a cylinder N, that is supported on brackets ,h,connected to the upper face of the shell D, as best illustrated in Fig.3. Near the sleeveI the arms J are provided with ears 7), these carsbeing connected to a bracket P on the upper face of the shell D by meansof links Q, and secured to the front of said shell is a bracket R, thatserves as a guide for the piston-rod abovedescribed.

The steam-cylinder N is provided with inlet-ports j 76 and anexhaust-port m, leading from a steam chest S, that forms part of saidcylinder, the steam-chest being connected to the shell D by means of apipe T. Arranged within the steam-chest is a valve U, having flanges n 0for controlling the inlet-portsj k and a bridge 19 for controlling theexhaustport 172, the valve being also provided with two lugs q, betweenwhich is arranged a disk V, having a wristpin 1', connected to a lever\V, and by the latter mechanism said valve is reciprocated to open andclose said ports. lVhile I have described an eccentric mechanism foractuating the slide-valve U, I do not wish to be understood as limitingmyself thereto, as other well-known means may be as readily employed forthe same purpose.

The rear end of the shell B is preferably provided with a vertical guide5, that comes between lugs 15 t on the adjacent end of the shell D, andI prefer to provic' e the steamcylinder with a cock at for the purposeof draining off the water of condensation that may accumulate therein.

I11 describing the operation of my device I will assume that sufficientsteam has been admittcd to the cylinder N to force the piston M its fullthrow toward the front and that the several parts stand in the positionshown by Fig. 3. The material to be bent is placed on the concave faceof the shell D, and steam 9 5 being cut off from the cylinder-ports theshell B will gradually descend as the steam back of the piston M iscondensed. Now as the shell 13 descends it draws on the links Q, and

thereby actuates the arms J and links J to I00 move the rod N and saidpiston to the rear, theleverage increasing as said shell continues itsdescent. When the descent of the shell B is nearly accomplished, thelever W is actuated to move the valve U, so as to open the inlet-port itto live steam, and thus said shell is forced down and held by greatpressure against the material to be bent. The bending and drying of thewood being accomplished, the valve U is shifted to cut off live steamfrom the port It and permit it to enter the port j, whereby the shell Bis raised to its former position by the pressure against the piston M,the dead steam in the cylinder N being exhausted through the ports is m,it being understood that a movement of said valve to open either of theports j 70 will at the. same time open the portmin the same proportion,the valve beingso constructed that when one inlet-port is open to livesteam the other inlet-port is in communication with the exhaustport.

I By having the rod H vertically adjustable, as above described, theshell may be positively adjusted in proportion as the material to bebent varies in thickness, the slotted ears on said shell and on the oneD permitting the forward end of the former shell to raise or lower whenthe adjustment is being effected.

Having thus described my invention, what Iclaim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a wood-bending press, the combination of the bed, a transverse rodconnected to said bed, a sleeve loose on the rod and provided with armshaving ears arranged near the sleeve, a hollow platen linked to the earsof the sleeve-arms and provided with means for connection with a sourceof steam-supply, a steam cylinder and chest supported on the platen andhaving a pipe-connection therewith, a piston arranged in the cylinderand provided with a rod, a cross-head and links connecting thepiston-rod with said sleevearms, and a valve arranged in the steam-chestto govern the admission of steam to said cylinder, substantially as setforth.

2. In a wood-bending press, the combination of the bed, a vertically-adjustable transverse rod connected to said bed, a hollow platen providedwith means for connection with a source of steam-supply, a levermechanism connecting the rod and platen, a steam cylinder and chestsupported on said platen and having a pipe-connection therewith, apiston arranged in the cylinder and provided with a rod connected to thelever mechanism,

and a valve arranged in the steam-chest to govern the admission of steamto said cylinder, substantially as set forth.

3. In a wood-bendingpress, the combination of the bed, a hollow platenprovided at one end with a guide and having means for connection with asource of steam-supply, a rod loose in the guide, a lever mechanismconnected to the platen and rod, a steam cylinder and chest supported onsaid platen and having a pipe-connection therewith, a piston arranged inthe cylinder and connected to said rod, and a valve arranged in thesteamchest to govern the admission of steam to said cylinder,substantially as set forth.

4. In a wood-bending press, the combination of a bed and platen,respectively provided at one end with ears having verticallydisposedslots, a rod passed through all the slots, standards adj ustablyconnected to opposite sides of the bed, a transverse rod connectin g thestandards above said bed, a sleeve loose on the rod, and a levermechanism connecting the sleeve and platen, substantially as set forth.

5. In a wood-bending press, the bed and platen in the form of shellsprovided with means for connection with a source of steamsupply, a levermechanism connected to the platen, a steam cylinder and chest supportedon said platen and having a pipe-connection therewith, a piston arrangedin the cylinder and provided with a rod connected to the levermechanism, and a valve arranged in the steam-chest to govern theadmission of steam to the cylinder, substantially as set forth.

6. In a wood-bending press having a hollow platen provided with meansfor connection with a source of steam-supply, a lever mechanismconnected to the platen, a steam cylinder and chest supported on saidplaten and having a pipe-connection therewith, a-piston arranged in thecylinder and provided with a rod connected to the lever mechanism,avalve arranged in the steam-chest to control the inlet-ports of thecylinder, and a bridge carried by the valve to control the exhaust-portof said cylinder, substantially as set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand atSheboygan, in the county of Sheboygan and State of Wisconsin, in thepresence of two witnesses.

DAVID JENKINS.

Witnesses:

GEORGE P. MYERS, M. A. LONG.

